Water-distributing system for concrete mixers



SYSTEM FOR CONCRETE IIXERS Filed March 30, 1938 C. I. BOHMER E AL WATER-DISTRIBUTING May 23, 1939.

mmvmns C/arence l Bo/vmen Robe/"f E 60 fcb.

ATTORNEYS.

////////////I/IIIII Patented May 23, 1939 2,159,499

a 7 PATENT OFFICE Clarence I. Bohmer' and Columbus, Ohio, assiga orsto El ie; Jaeger Machine Qompany, Columbus, Ohigqa; corporation of .0516 i..

7 Application March 30} 1938, Serial No. 198,968 t v r v 2 Glain1s.' (01. 75519-468) I Our invention relates-to a water-distributing Figure 2 is'a detail mainly in longitudinal secsystemlfor'concrete mixers. Ithasto'do,more tion but partly in side elevation showing the particularly, Witha=- water-distributing system valve sue the operating" means therefor. adapted to be applied ta the rotating drum -ot a a Figure 3 is a detailin perspective showing sevslzconcrete mZ-xersuoh as a truckmixerr However, eral parts of the valve and water bell in disas- 5' o it is to beunderstood that our in-ven tion isnot sei'rrbled relationship.

necessarily limited to mixers for concretebut is -Wi-th reference tothe drawing, in Figure- 1 we applicable tomixers forother material and it have shown our water-distributing system apis also not limited to the distribution of water plied to a; mi-xerfor concrete of the truck mixer 1O in=the mixer sinceitcan be usedfordistributing type. However,- it: is to be understood that our other liquids. 1 I a invention is not limited to this particular type "One of the: oli 'ec-ts of our invention is to proor mixer.

vi'd'e ad'evic'eadapted-to be applied to the drum The truck mixer is shown asconiprising a mixot aconcrete mixer for d-istributin-g water withing drain I which is mainly ofcylindrical form" ,.in the'interior thereof, said device including a but which has' frust'o-conical ends 2'. This mixmechanically-operated valve which can be reading drum: is rotatably mounted on the truck ily'open'ed-i and closed at all tim'es and with which: chassis in the usual" way; It is driven by a power the concrete in the mixing drumwill not interunit Ito whiclr itis connectedin the usual manfere. s her; A w'ater'tank t is supported at a compara- Another objectorouriinyention is to provide tively high point on the truck mixer and is 20 a device of the indicated embodying a valve adapted to supply water for distribution in the whichris s'o'z constructed and arranged that the mixing drum under a: gravity pressure. Howparts thereof will not be subject to any appreciever in some instances it may be desirable to able wear, J I provide apumpior' this purpose. A valve 5'may In its preferredrom, .our' invention con-teniprovided for controlling: the flow of water plates the provisionwof: a; water-distributing sysfrom: the 1 tem which is associated witlr a rotating mixing a Withinvthe mixing drum acw'ater pipe 6 is ax-' drumsuch as the rotating 'ota ia'llyf disposed. This water pipe has both: its formixen, A water pipe isaxiall-y disposed. within ward andv rear ends carried by the mixing drum 3013116 mixing: drum and is mounted-i-n-such ama-n inzsuch a manner that the pipe will rotate with her that it will rotate with the drum. On this the mixingi drum; The pipe 8 1s divided into two axially disposed water pipe at a suitable point sections;- viz, a-r'rear section I and a forward sec- Wedispose awater-distributingbell} Wlthitrthisi tiorl 8. v The rear section 1: is a dummy section bell, we provide a valve which controls'the flow and does not-carry water. The rear end of the 85 of water from the bell. Thisv valve: is positively section 1' may carry, as indicated at 9;. means and mechanically openedgby means outsideot the for controlling the opening and closing of the drum and automaticallyv closed by means-Jinside: discharge door provided at the rear end of the thedrum. Such means is so constructed that mixing it will not interfere with rotation of the drum. Between the adjacent ends of. the pipe sec- 'I- he, operating. means for. the valve: can? be actu: tlons 1' and- I we provide a water-distributing atedto positively seat; or unseat the valve1with'-- bel-l- HI; This bell l0 is of trusts-conical form; outinterference by the ,material withina the as-shown,;and is provided with a threaded boss drum, The valve isso: disposed within the1bell; l,-'l'- omitssmaller end for receiving the threaded that it is protected from the material within the end of thepipe section 8.: A spider I2 is bolted drum. Furthermore; is; so constructed that to the? larger end or? member l0- by means of the parts thereofi wiill not; wear to any appreciboltst3. This spider has a threaded boss I! able extent. formed centrally thereon adapted to receive the The preferred embodiment of our invention is threaded end of the pipe section 1. Within the illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherebell adjacent the inner end thereof a substanm in similar characters of reference designate cortially cylindrical chamber I5 is formed. At the responding parts and wherein: outer end of this chamber an annular seat [6 is Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken provided for receiving a strainer member I! away, illustrating a truck mixer having a waterwhich takes the form or a perforated disk. This distributing system according to our invention disk has a centrally disposed boss having an associated therewith. opening I8 extending therethrough. A rod I9 extends through this opening and is free to slide therein. The rear end of this rod carries a member 28 which is of substantially disk-like form but which is slightly concave-convex. This member 28 is preferably made of non-corrosive metal. It is also preferably resilient. When in the position indicated in Figure 2, its outer edge is adapted to seat on an annular seat 2| surrounding the strainer member H. The member 26 is prevented from moving longitudinally onthe rod l9 by means of the nuts 22 threaded on the outer end thereof. A spring 23- is provided for normally holding the valve disk 20' seated on the annular seat 2|. This spring 23' is a compression spring which surrounds the rod [9. Its rear end bears against the boss l8 of the member I! while its forward end bears against a collar 24 keyed to the rod l9.

The forward end of the pipe section 8 is threaded into the rear end of a sleeve 25 carried by a disk 29 which is secured to the forward end of the mixing drum I in such a manner that it will rotate therewith. The forward portion of this sleeve is disposed within a roller bearing 21. A pipe section 8a extends into the forward portion of the sleeve 25 and a packing gland arrangement 28 is provided for preventing leakage of water around the pipe section 8a. It will be apparent that the pipe section 8 is free to rotate relative to the pipe section 8a. The pipe section to is connected by a flexible hose 9b to another pipe section 80. This pipe section 80 extends into a fitting 29 which is connected to the discharge pipe leading from the water tank 4.

'Plastic packing material is provided in an an,-

receiving plastic packing material which may.

be compressed by an adjustable bolt 33.

The rod I9 is adapted to be moved rearwardlyby'means of a hand lever 34 pivoted to lugs 35 carried by the fitting 29. It wil be apparent that if the lever 34 is forced rearwardly, the rod [9 will be forced rearwardly unseating the disk 20 from the seat 2|. As soon as the lever 34 is released, the springs 23 will automatically seat the disk 20 and close the valve. If desired, suitable means may be provided forreleasably holding the lever 34 in its rearwardmost position.

With this device, whenever it is desired to supply water to themixing drum, the lever 34 is actuated to move the rod l9 rearwardly and unseat the valve disk 29. The water will then flow from the tank 4 through fitting 29, pipe sections 80, 8b, 8a and 8 into the bell Ill. The water will flow through the bell past the outer periphery of the disk 20 and will be discharged into the mixer. Because the disk 20 is disposed within the bell, it will be protected from the concrete. If any concrete enters the bell, it will tend to be deflected away from the valve seat due to the fact that the member 28 has a rear surface of convex form. As soon as suflicient water is supplied to the mixed, the lever 34 may be released and the spring 23 will force the rod I9 forwardly seating the disk 20 on the annular seat 2|. Because the disk 28 is resilient, this will insure that it will be positively seated. It will be apparent that when the bell l and the pipe section 8 rotate, the rod l9 and the disk 20 will rotate therewith. The pipe section 8a and the fitting 29 will remain stationary, the rod [9 rotating therein without interference therewith. The forward end of the rod is free from the lever 34, the lever merely bearing thereagainst, in order to permit this rotation.

It'will be apparent from the above description that we have provided a water-distributing device having many advantages. The valve is mechanically operated and can be readily opened and closed at all times. The concrete in the mixing drum will not interfere with the opening and closing of this valve. The valve is so constructed and arranged that the parts thereof will not be subject to any appreciable wear.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the preceding description, the drawing an-dthe following claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is: I

1. In combination, a mixer, a water-distributing system, said water-distributing system including a pipe supported axially within the mixing drum, said pipe being composed of front and rear sections, a water-distributing device between the ends of the adjacent sections, said waterdistributing device comprising a housing mounted on the forward section of the pipe, said housing being of substantially frusto-conical form and being directed rearwardly, a spider secured to the rear end of said housing and connected to the rear section of the pipe, a valve disk disposed within said housing, a seat for said disk, said disk having a convex surface on the side opposite the valve seat, and a rod connected to said disk and extending through the front section of said pipe to a point outside of said mixing drum for actuating said valve disk.

. 2. In combination, a mixer, a'water-distributing system, said water-distributing system including apipe supported axially within the mixing drum, said pipe being composed'of front and CLARENCE I. .BOI-IMER. "ROBERT F. GATCI-I. 

